The millionaire chief executive who grabbed a cap from a young tennis supporter at the US Open has delivered a grovelling apology following intense criticism.
Piotr Szczerek, who heads a Polish paving firm, was filmed snatching Kamil Majchrzak's hat after the Polish player approached the crowd to celebrate his remarkable five-set triumph with supporters.
Majchrzak, currently ranked 76th globally, secured the most significant victory of his professional career on Thursday, defeating Karen Khachanov in the second round at Flushing Meadows.
The 29-year-old approached the spectators and began autographing tennis balls when a young lad called Brock requested his cap.
Without hesitation, Majchrzak handed over the headwear, only for Szczerek to swiftly grab it from the youngster before placing it in a bag, reports the Mirror.
Video footage of the incident has spread rapidly across social media, forcing the business magnate to acknowledge his "huge mistake".
"Due to the situation that happened during Kamil Majchrzak's match at the US Open, I would like to clearly apologise to the injured boy, his family, as well as all the fans and the player himself," Szczerek stated in a Facebook post.
"I have made a huge mistake. In emotions, in the crowd rejoicing after the victory, I was convinced the tennis player tips his hat in my direction - to my sons who have asked for autographs earlier.
"The misconception caused me to pull out my hand. Today I know I did something that looked like a deliberate collection of the child's souvenir. This was not my intention, but it doesn't change the fact I hurt the boy and disappointed the fans."
Szczerek went on to say: "For years, my wife and I have been engaged in helping children and young athletes, but this situation has shown I think that one moment of disregard can ruin years of work and support.
"It hurts for me, but a needed lesson in humility. I believe that only through actions can rebuild what has been lost trust. Again, I'm sorry to anyone I disappointed. Please understand - for my family's sake - I decided to turn off the option comments on this post."
Thankfully for Brock, he was able to meet up with Majchrzak the following day. The youngster posed for photographs with the Polish player and was spotted sporting a similar cap to the one that had been snatched by Szczerek.
"Today after warm up, I had a nice meeting," Majchrzak posted on Instagram, adding: "Do you recognise [the cap]?".
In another post, he commented: "Hello World, together with Brock we wish you a great day!".
Sadly for Majchrzak, he was compelled to withdraw from his third-round clash against Switzerland's Leandro Riedi on Saturday after suffering a torn intercostal muscle.